A few weeks ago, I went to a barbeque. On the table there was plate of what looked to be a chocolate type dish that was crumbled up. I grabbed a piece, ate it, had eight more pieces, and then went on a mad hunt throughout the barbeque to see who brought the stuff and how much I would have to pay them for the recipe.
After not too much work I tracked it down, and trust me. You want to make this.
This will blow your mind.
What’s fantastic about this stuff is many things. First, it marries salty and sweet perfectly which is my favorite. Second, it is super easy to make. Third, it is best kept and eaten frozen so it is awesome for summer time.
Brickle (Thanks Meredith!)
Feeds a party… or one.- 40 Saltine crackers (one sleeve about)
- 1 Cup salted butter (don’t substitute)
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- 1 12 ounce package of chocolate chips
- 5-6 Heath bars, crunched up for topping
This is all you need! The Saltine crackers are the key to the saltiness and they are kind of hard to identify in the final product because it is all broken up.
Simple ingredients actually.
The next part is simple. Take your largest sheet or baking tray (make sure it is rimmed) and line it with foil. Then toss down your crackers. Make sure that they don’t overlap. That’s pretty much the only rule. The crackers should fill up the baking sheet perfectly. If you have a smaller baking sheet, then you will obviously need less crackers.
Crackers laid out.
Ok. Now the only actual hard part in the whole recipe and it isn’t that hard: making the caramel. Just melt your butter in a saucepan and then stir in your brown sugar. Once it starts bubbling, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir continuously or it might burn.
Stay close to this stuff.
The caramel will be pretty runny and that is good. Once it has simmered for a few minutes, pour it straight on the crackers. Try to get it kind of even, but don’t worry about covering everything.
Doesn't have to be even.
Next, stick your baking sheet in the oven at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes. The original recipe called for 5 minutes, but mine took 10. Basically, you want the caramel to spread out nicely over the crackers. It should bubble a bit.
When you take it out of the oven, pour your chocolate chips on the tray right away. The residual heat from the oven will be more than enough to melt the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt.
Don't worry it will all melt.
You can use those 5 minutes while the chocolate melts to crumble up your Heath bars. Again, don’t worry about making them even or anything. Part of the charm of this dish is the random sizes of everything.
After 5 minutes, use a spatula to spread out your chocolate and make the chips flat. Then sprinkle on your Heath pieces.
Perfection is not essential.
Then just stick this whole thing in your freezer! You have to make sure you give this stuff time to freeze solid. I let mine sit for about 4 hours in there and that was more than enough time.
Then take it out and if your brickle is rock hard, flip it over and peel of the foil which should come off in one full sheet!
Cool.
Then just bust the stuff up! Take out some aggression! One note though… make sure you take the foil off before you break it up. That is, unless your idea of a good time is peeling hundreds of tiny foil pieces off of candy.
Um. Yes please.
Store this stuff in the freezer. It will keep for a month I’m sure. Not that anyone has ever actually let it sit that long. Mine was gone in a few days without any problem at all.
This will go quick at parties.
An easy recipe and a delicious dessert. It’s a perfect dessert for a party.
Make the brickle. Eat the brickle. Share the brickle. Love the brickle.
This is a staple in my house! The grand kids just love it and beg for it! I have found using different types of chips really add a lot. At the holidays we love to make with some peppermint chocolate chips, you mix half peppermint and half regular chips, all the rest the same. A must try, Really good.
Billie
I make this all the time, but sometimes use graham crackers and always use semi-sweet choc chips. Awesome stuff.
I love the brickle. I’m hosting a birthday BBQ this weekend, and I’m totally gonna try this out.
Dude, Nick, where were you for the multiple book clubs that Classic-Katie made a nearly identical version of this treat…um, were you really that into the book or did you drink too much wine?! That said, I want to eat those. Now.
Brilliant–and evil. I’m making this for my next outdoor get-together. They’ll love it.
Totally forgot about this stuff…which might be a good thing. My sister makes it around the holidays and I could seriously eat an entire container of it in one sitting.
I’ve had these before- they’re delicious!!
Someone used to bring this to youth group meetings when I was a kid – it’s as addictive and tasty as you say!
The broken up Heath bars on top of the giant Heath bar. Nice.
Totally made this for the first time last month, and it was a huge hit. Brought some to work, and everyone wanted the recipe. Can you believe how easy it is? Love it.
Wow, I was so surprised by the saltine crackers. I will definitely be making this.
Where were you a week ago with this recipe? I had a BBQ Sunday for my kid’s 2nd birthday, and this would have gone over awesome!
I wounder how it would be if a person where to cut in peanut butter or butterscotch chips in with the chocolate? Make something like a marble?
As always, your pictures are fantastic! You are a great inspiration to me, if I could only be half the blog you are, LOL. Man, I need help there!
I made it with pretzels in place of the crackers (I got some square ones, kind of a grid pattern inside with small holes) and it was FABULOUS!! Thanks!
these were a staple in college, they were always gone within an hour!
We always make this for Passover but with Matzo crackers instead of saltines and with almonds sprinkled on top!!! They’re definitely better than the gifelte fish!!! Hahah
My mom makes this stuff when I visit on vacation but she calls it cracker candy. Regardless of moniker, this stuff is incredibly good.
I just finished making this! But I have to wait for it to freeze!!! T_T WWWWHHHYYYYYYYYYYY……..
There are a bunch of finger scrapes in the chocolate and health too…
try using club crachers. extra buttery flavor!! yumm.
I just ’stumbled upon’ this page of your blog and was so suprised. I recently started a blog and one of the first things I posted about was my “Cracker Candy” which is similiar. I can’t wait to try your version. I’ve started using a silpat liner instead of foil and it works great.
thats cool i just stumbled on this page and its awsome im going to use the candy crackers now but i dont have regular crackers is it ok if i use club crackers?
funny. paula deen makes the same thing…its called PINE BARK. i have been making this for years.
A good friend of mine introduced me to this tasty snack as “KrackerKandy” at a party a few years ago, and since then she’s been elaborating on the basic recipe in some pretty delicious ways! I gotta say, this is something you gotta try different toppings with, you basically can’t go wrong!
Mmm I want to try this but with reese cups instead of heath bars!
[...] http://www.macheesmo.com [...]
Ahh i love this stuff! I’m Jewish, and we make it with matzo for passover, since it’s kosher. =] Well…minus the Heath bar.
Stumbled through this page, instantly made me hungry. Definitely going to give it a try :)
Try using a chocolate orange, my mom makes this alot with Breton crackers and calls it breton brittle. If it was a crime to eat it I’d have soooo many consecutive life sentences.
I bet, half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips would make it even better.
I have tried this before, except instead of Heath bars I used chopped almonds and it is one of my favorites!!! I absolutely love it!
I tried this recipe, but the chocolate chips did not melt. At all.
I couldn’t spread the chocolate, and it hardly melted. The chips just stuck to me spat-yuuu-la.
@Devon and Beloved. The chocolate should definitely melt although it might stick a bit to your spatula. The things to remember:
1) Remember that you have to bake your caramel and crackers for 10 minutes or so before you put on your chocolate.
2) Use milk chocolate
3) Wait 5 minutes before you try to spread it.
It basically has to melt. Chocolate will melt in you hand so it will definitely melt on a 350 degree sheet of caramel.
Thanks for the comments everyone!
I’ve made these for years. The only real difference is that I top the bars with roasted and salted (using super fine salt) pecans. It really ramps up that ’salty/sweet’ thing. And I’ve never put them in the freezer. About 15 minutes in the fridge and they’re good to go. These are incredibly versatile as well. Using the butter/brown sugar mixture as your only constant, everything else can be changed to your liking…graham crackers, white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanutbutter chips, pecans, walnuts, assorted candies, etc. Your imagination is your only limitation !
I have been making these for years, never used
the heath bars on them we just called them
heath bar cookies. I do know though that
you need a teaspoon of baking soda in the butter sugar
mix it foams up and makes it get harder when cooled.
Oh wow, definitely have to remember this one come Passover, glad to see that suggestion! Yay matzoh candy!
I am from oz what exactly is a health bar?
Oops it a heath bar??????????????
@Darl. A heath bar is an American candy bar I think that is like a caramel nougat with chocolate. Delicious stuff. It’s really crunchy and great as toppings.
I hate you and love you for this.
I have seeen this before, but did not try it. I am going to make this the next time they have a get together at church or maybe for the music class I help teach for Kindergarten. It sounds delicious and easy to make. I always look for easy recipes.
Thx
I just made this and it was great! I used the exact recipe except I split it between two cookie sheets of saltines and love it. Thanks!!!!
Just found this looking for something to make over Christmas, and really really want to try it! Been trying to find some english equivalents, any ideas what to use instead of saltines? I’ve read maybe Ritz crackers? There seems to be something I can find in Tesco or Waitrose, so I’ll have a look. And Heath bars….are they like Daim bars? Very hard brittle toffee?
@Steph I’m not too familiar with English products… Ritz crackers might be a bit too buttery. Basically you just want a crunchy cracker that is pretty salty. That’s really the only important thing I’d think.
Yep.. you are right. Any brittle toffee should do the trick ;)
A great alternative to saltine crackers is graham crackers!
My carmel never freezes. Is there a certain temperature I should aim for? I don’t know what’s up with it. :(
Hmm… It should freeze pretty solid if you put it in the freezer. Unless you are secretly putting booze in it ;)
My first batch of brickle is in the freezer now. I honestly am not sure I’m going to be able to wait 4 hours til it freezes… nevermind the 20-hour wait until the party I’m supposed to bring it to.